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Hello, I am Laura Lee
No full textLaura Lee is a junior majoring in biology. The title of her project is: Wastewater Detection of SARA-Cov-2
04. Wastewater Detection of SARA-Cov-2
No full textSARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted up to five days before a positive test or onset of symptoms, in addition, asymptomatic individuals that go untested can transmit SARS CoV-2 as well, causing an inaccurate measure of positivity in the community. Already being used successfully in Spain, Italy, and Sub-Saharan Africa to analyze and mitigate spread of the virus, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) allows for the detection of pathogens in samples collected from wastewater samples regardless of symptoms. WBE can give real-time insights into the prevalence of SARS-COV-2 in a population, as it samples from an entire community and does not rely on individual testing. Testing and monitoring the city of Ruston’s wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 RNA will provide a more accurate count of positive cases present across the population and possibly allow health care providers to mitigate the spread. Samples are pulled over a 24-hour period and examined using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) to detect viral genome units for genes that encode two nucleocapsid proteins in SARS-CoV-2, N1 and N2. We have observed increases in viral RNA at specific points throughout the pandemic, largely consistent with positive case statistics. We continue to monitor wastewater in the city of Ruston and at specific locations on campus to determine efficacy in individual testing, reporting, and determine if results may be used to predict future surges and work to effectively prevent the further spread of COVID-19. WBE could allow researchers to predict and prevent viral outbreaks in order to avoid a pandemic in the future
10. Influence of Container Color and Medium Depth on Avian Herbivory of Longleaf Pine Seed
Get PDFSurvey results from nursery managers have indicated avian herbivory as the leading cause of seed loss and germinant mortality in forest tree seedling nurseries in the southern United States. Reports indicate over $150,000 in lost revenue with a 1% seed loss. Shade cloths are typically used to prevent herbivory but can often exacerbate losses when birds become trapped underneath the cloth. In a previous research trial that investigated longleaf pine sowing methods and subsequent seedling development, it was observed that birds exclusively foraged on seeds sown in cavities filled to depths of five inches (operational depth) compared to those sown at depths of three inches. The goal of this research was to determine if container color and medium depth affected the level of avian herbivory during the germination phase. Longleaf pine seeds were sown in either black or white container cells filled to either three or five inches of growing medium for a total of four treatments. There were three repetitions (trays of 49 cells) for each treatment. Birds consumed 74% of seeds sown in full cavities compared to 36% of seeds in cavities filled to three inches. Seed loss was 20 percentage points higher in black cavities compared to white cavities. Consumption occurred faster in cells filled to five inches (majority in first five days). Determining patterns in seed loss by avian species will assist nursery managers with decisions on sowing techniques and container selection and will help eliminate economic losses
Hello, I am Hyla Beachy
No full textHyla Beachy is a junior sociology major. The title of her project is: Where Are the Women?: The Representation of Gendered Wartime Violence at Abu Ghraib in U.S. Newspapers.
Improving Training in Aviation: A Theoretical Evaluation and Application
Get PDFPilots are required to go through many hours of instruction and flight training before obtaining certification (FAA, 2016a). This training is designed to teach trainees the relevant concepts and procedures that are needed to complete successful flight operations. However, there are many factors that can impact the effectiveness of this training. The focus of this paper is to investigate, per the request of a faculty member from a University’s Department of Professional Aviation, ways in which an aviation training program could be improved. To better understand this training program, a review of aviation training is provided. To determine if active learning via a self-seeking feedback intervention is a viable means of process improvement, previous research surrounding training and feedback are discussed. The current paper outlines the scientific literature that informed, supported, and ultimately justified the choices made during this project. Limitations and additional considerations are also provided
Firm Performance in the Era of Big Data Analytics: The Effects of Analytical Human Capital on Firm Capabilities and Performance
Get PDFThe Big Data phenomenon has revolutionized the way firms do business by providing immense opportunities for valuable business insights from large amounts of data. Big data analytics (BDA) has emerged as one of the top technology investment areas as firms consider it a significant impetus for superior firm performance. However, many firms adopting BDA find it challenging to gain an advantage from their BDA investments. Scholars note the need to further understand the factors and mechanisms of BDA success. Some anecdotal evidence has indicated that a critical barrier to BDA success may be the lack of a necessary workforce with analytics skills. A review of recent BDA literature revealed a lack of research on the role of analytics human capital in relation to firm performance.
In this dissertation study, I draw upon the theoretical perspectives of knowledge-based view and dynamic capabilities to examine the impacts of analytics human capital (HC) on firm performance and identify related firm capabilities. Noting the crucial role of managerial skills in business strategy, I further classify analytics HC into managerial and employee analytics HC and hypothesize that both these types of human capital are a source of superior firm performance.This study empirically examines the effects of managerial and employee analytics HC on firm performance while also investigating the mediating firm capabilities. As prior studies have found that managerial skills impact strategic change capabilities, and employee skills affect productive efficiency capabilities, the mediating role of these capabilities is investigated. In addition, the moderating influence of environmental dynamism and information technology (IT) infrastructure is also considered. The sample of Fortune 500 companies was used in the study as this sample has been widely used and found appropriate for strategy studies linked to firm performance. The study results confirm that both managerial and employee analytics HC have a significant positive impact on firm performance. The results also support the partial mediating effect of strategic change capability in the relationship between managerial analytics HC and firm performance. Further, the partial mediating effect of productive efficiency capability in the relationship between employee analytics HC and firm performance is also supported. Furthermore, Environmental dynamism was found to marginally moderate the impact of managerial analytics skills on firm performance. Finally, the moderating role of IT Infrastructure quality was also marginally supported. The study results confirmed the key role of analytics HC in improving the firm performance and identified the firm capabilities that mediate the effects of analytics HC on firm performance. In summation, the focus of BDA initiatives has been predominantly on big technology investments while often neglecting the development of analytics HC in the firms. This research study highlights the crucial role of analytics HC on firm performance. It provides a strong empirical basis for firms to develop their managers’ and employees’ analytics skills to derive business value from their BDA investments. The empirical evaluation of the firm capabilities: strategic-change capability and productive capability, also contribute to research on dynamic and ordinary capabilities. This study is one of the early empirical studies to examine the impacts of analytics human capital on firm performance in the context of Big data analytics and therefore has important implications for both academia and practice in this area
Hello, I am Lucas Norris
No full textLucas Norris is a freshman biomedical engineering major. The title of his research project is: Notch Signaling Plays a Key Role in Regulating Adult Stem Cell Osteogenic Differentiation
19. College Students Reduce Meal Size and/or Skip Meals due to Finances
Get PDFBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread economic disruption , affecting the supply and demand for food. University students became financially stressed causing food security issues. Meal size reduction or meal skipping during this time may impact academic performance as GPA declines with food insecurity in university students.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in meals consumed by U.S. university students that had occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method
An anonymous, cross sectional online survey of university students was conducted. The questionnaire consisted of 89 items, of which a subset was used for this analysis. Sampling followed the snowball technique.
Results
Of 282 participants, 20% reported needing to cut the size of their meals or skip meals during the early pandemic period. Fifty-five percent cut meal size or skipped meals and 20% ate less than they should to save money in the past year. Thirty-three percent experienced not having enough money to buy food when their supply did not last in the past year. Of those, 56.7% experienced inadequate funds during the pandemic. Approximately 56% of the total reported always being able to afford a balanced meal.
Conclusions
Although food insecurity throughout the year has been identified in college student ranging from 11-52%, this data indicates that it may be more prevalent during the quarantine months of the early COVID-19 experience. University support for food insecure students is critical during disruptive events and requires services to adapt to student needs
A Poet, Pistachios, and 95 Dollars of Cigar Gift Cards
Get PDFJenna Meadows studies history and English with a concentration in creative writing at Louisiana Tech